| |
| |
|
Marketing Resource Center |
|
|
|
Business to Business Direct Mail Offers that Say Free
In direct mail, the offer is the incentive or reward that you dangle in front of your prospects to motivate them to respond to your mailing, either with an order or with a request for more information. Offers follow a "you do this and we'll do that" format. For example: "Place your order before June 3 and we'll reduce your price by 40%" or "Phone now and we'll send you a free demo CD." Here are some examples of offers that businesses use to sell their products and services to other businesses using direct mail. Each of these offers gives the prospect something for free. "Free" is still a word that increases response, though it is not as effective as it once was because readers are more sceptical and because spam filters often delete emails that contain the word (that's why I've disguised "free" throughout this message). 1. Free trial Pros: Increases response because it eliminates the buyer's fear of ordering by mail what may prove to be unsatisfactory merchandise. Cons: Increases cost of processing orders. Hampers cash flow. 2. Free gift for inquiry Pros: Effective at increasing inquiries. Cons: Respondents are usually less qualified, since some will just want your gift, not what you're selling. 3. Free information Pros: Effective when your product is either complex or expensive, or both, and what you want is a sales lead, not an immediate sale. Also useful when you sell more than one thing. Cons: Adds to your lead generation costs. Some people collect information but never buy. 4. Free demonstration Pros: An effective way to secure meetings with prospects. Overcomes fears and objections (assuming your product is good). Gives you opportunity to answer customer questions in person. Cons: Expensive when it involves a sales visit. 5. Free analysis Pros: Attractive because it gives prospects value and helps them see how you operate. Helps you qualify prospects. Cons: Expensive when it involves a visit to the prospect's business. Time-consuming. 6. Free estimate Pros: Helps you generate leads. You get a chance to meet face-to-face with prospects, if necessary. Cons: Time-consuming. Some prospects will just be shopping for best price. Others will be checking to see if they got a good deal from your competitor. Expensive when it involves a face-to-face meeting. Alan is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation consultant. As President of Sharpe Copy Inc. (http://www.sharpecopy.com), Alan specializes in helping businesses generate leads, close sales and retain customers, using cost-effective, compelling direct mail and email marketing. Alan also uses his direct mail advertising services to help charities raise funds and raise awareness of their causes, using fundraising letters.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
4 Sales Strategies with Your Trade Show Exhibition Booth Trade show booths can act as an excellent source for generating sales enquiries in the short run. Companies are able to demonstrate their products or services and get instant enquiries at the booth which on timely follow up can result in sales. Open Doors by Building Relationships "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get others interested in you." - Dale Carnegie -"The same could be said for increasing your professional network. How To Market Effectively Even If No One Understands What You Do So how do you effectively market your product or service when one knows anything about them because you're in a new and emerging industry? How can you expect to get customers if no one understands what it is that you do?If this is your situation then a big part of your marketing strategy will need to be educating consumers about what you do. If yours is a field that is relatively new, or perhaps misunderstood, adopting an education strategy can help consumers understand the benefits you provide and feel more comfortable with the idea of purchasing your products or services. Marketing Planning - Preparation and Accountability We all know the saying, "Failing to plan (prepare) is planning (preparing) to fail." I truly believe in this statement and I hope you do as well. How To Get Celebrities To Endorse YOUR Product How would you like celebrities to endorse your product?Perhaps that sounds crazy. Well, here's the info. Postcard Mania Will postcards be an advantage for you?The latest craze these days is to send a postcard advertisement to everyone on a mailing list. It is both good and annoying to customers. Referrals . . .The Secret Weapon Are you getting referrals from you customers? If not, you are missing a lot of sales. Think about many of the sites you visit on the web. Direct Mail Leads - Brand Identity Guru Direct mail can be one of the most effective tactics to reach your target audience. Developing a strategy for direct mail is critical to obtaining the best ROI. Two Steps to Improving Your Marketing Success Since the human brain seems to be able to focus on only one thought at a time, it's difficult to evaluate an advertising idea from the perspective of both a marketer and a customer. That's why it's necessary to use a two-step process when developing highly effective ads, sales letters, web pages, and e-mails. Every Days a Holiday! You probably know that February 2nd is Groundhog Day. But did you know that it is also Kiwi Fruit Day, Laugh and Grow Rich Day, and Bonza Bottler Day(tm)? Each of these holidays was created by someone who wanted to commemorate or promote something. A Seven Letter Word That Helped a 3 Month Marketing Newbie to Online Success Who would have thought that a three month newbie and marketing dummy with no list, no product, no contacts, can actually make money online? Me neither.I had no idea what to do, how to do or why. Mailing Lists - Keeping it Simple The right direct mailing list targets people who want your product or service.The direct mail mailing list is a key factor in a successful direct mail marketing campaign and a major point to consider in small business marketing strategies where marketing ROI (Return On Investment) is a key concern. Effective List Management Can Save You Big Let's talk about how to keep your postage costs down.So far you have been following my advice and mailing to the same list more than once. Packaging Trends You Cannot Overlook (Part #2) Part #26) Food safety is becoming paramount.What this means to you: No longer are the words tampering and bio terrorism buzz phrases. Creating Customer Value The purpose of business is to create and retain a customer.Much has been written about customer orientation, customer relationship management (CRM), Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) metrics, Customer Centric organization models, customer retention, customer care?add any high sounding word with 'customer' preceding or succeeding that word and you have a new model, a new theory. Brainstorming Techniques as New Product Development Strategies When developing new products and strategies, coming up with unique ideas is often a struggle. It is one of the reasons why, in any industry, there is so much repetition. Top 10 Ways to Create and Manage Opportunity Most of us are used to the concepts of risk management or time management. Many of the same principles can be applied to creating and responding to opportunities. 7 Ways a Copywriter Can Help Your Business Succeed Think you can't afford to hire a copywriter? Think again. Here are seven ways a copywriter can contribute to the success of your business. 13 Lessons in Marketing, Super Bowl Style Each year, the Super Bowl provides marketers opportunity to study and learn from the games' advertisers, players, and coordinators. Super Bowl XXXVI (February, 2002) was no exception. Seven Common Marketing Problems Solved by Marketing Operations Corporate marketing groups - especially bandwidth-challenged small-to-mid-sized departments - can be so focused on tactics and fire fighting that they jeopardize their marketing investment. There is a tendency to overreact to events, to tackle symptoms rather than underlying fundamental problems and to jump at the opportunity to please the boss.
|
| home | site map | Advertising Articles |
| © 2006 |
